Introducing: The Oval

This summer, Eakins Oval will become simply “The Oval,” as Philadelphia Parks & Recreation and the Fairmount Park Conservancy launch a season of programming as part of the More Park, Less Way plan for the Benjamin Franklin Parkway. The Oval will be beach-themed in 2013, complete with lifeguard chairs, sandboxes and a “boardwalk” with food trucks and seating.

Recreation Center Surveillance Camera Program

On June 12, Councilwoman Cindy Bass and other City officials gathered to announce the funding and implementation of a program to install cameras in recreation centers and playgrounds across the city. District Council members have committed nearly $3.6 million in capital funding over three years for this program.

In addition to the cameras, Philadelphia Parks & Recreation will also be installing a Mosquito anti-loitering system at each recreation center and playground.

TONIGHT: Urban Sustainability Forum

Peek inside the inner workings of our city government and hear straight from the people who are implementing Mayor Nutter’s Greenworks Philadelphia plan.

Director of Sustainability Katherine Gajewski and her colleagues, including PPR’s own Andrew Emma, TreeKeepers Program Manager, will tell success stories, recount challenges, and talk about what’s next for the future of Philadelphia. How far must we go to become America’s greenest city? Find out this evening at the Academy of Natural Sciences, and network with other sustainability advocates during the post-program reception.

Mantua in Action Receives $90,000 in Funding

On June 5, Philadelphia Parks & Recreation and Drexel University hosted a check presentation celebration at the James L. Wright Recreation Center in honor of the Aberdeen Charitable Foundation’s commitment to provide $90,000 of funding over three years to Mantua in Action, a youth development program for middle-school students in Mantua.

The after-school program brings together sports and enrichment opportunities to transform educational outcomes for Mantua youth by helping them succeed in school, matriculate and successfully graduate from high school.

Mantua in Action is a broad partnership between Drexel University, Philadelphia Parks & Recreation, the Philadelphia Youth Sports Collaborative, the We Are Mantua community planning effort, the DB4 youth task force and the Mantua Community Improvement Committee. It is coordinated by a non-profit organization, CustomED.

Starr Garden Mural Project

Society Hill’s Starr Garden is the latest site to be renewed through the partnership between Philadelphia Parks & Recreation and the Mural Arts Program. Thanks to funding from the Philadelphia Prison System, artist Delia King is busy designing a mural for the recreation center that combines the area's flora and fauna with graphic design elements in bold colors. And, of course, the black squirrel known to the center’s neighbors will play an important role in the design. This project will complement previous artistic touches added to Starr Garden by Recreation Leader Shara Gordon.

Once the design is approved by the Starr Garden community, the Guild Restorative Justice Program will bring the mural to life. The Guild provides inmates, ex-offenders and juvenile delinquents the opportunity to learn new skills and make a positive contribution to their communities to repair prior harm they may have caused. Its programs emphasize re-entry, reclamation of civic spaces and the use of art to give voice to people who have consistently felt disconnected from society.

Other Restorative Justice Program murals in the PPR system can be found at 12th & Cambria, Capitolo, Towey and Hancock recreation centers and playgrounds.

Million Tomato Compost Campaign

On June 6, Philadelphia Parks & Recreation and the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society (PHS) announced that they are teaming up to participate in the U.S. Composting Council’s (USCC) Million Tomato Compost Campaign as part of a nationwide effort to help grow healthy food for community gardens and food banks.

PPR will be donating over 100 yards of compost from its Fairmount Park Organic Recycling Center (FPORC) to six, brand new community gardens participating in PHS’s Garden Tender program. The campaign is an effort to bring together the nation’s compost manufacturers, chefs, community gardens and food pantries to help build healthy soil that produces nutritious, sustainably grown, local food for the nation’s communities.

Crops from the six Philadelphia community gardens will be used locally or donated to the PHS City Harvest program, which provides fresh produce for more than 1,200 residents in need each week during the growing season. At the end of the campaign in August, each community garden will count the number of tomatoes they are contributing to their neighborhoods or donating to a food bank.

Food Trucks in City Hall

On June 4, Philadelphia Parks & Recreation and the Department of Public Property announced the launch of a brand new food truck lunch series in the City Hall Courtyard.

15 food trucks now vend in the Courtyard each week. Every day features a different set of food trucks, selling from 11:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m., with Wednesday vendors operating through 7:00 p.m. in conjunction with the reintroduction of the City Hall Presents performance series, which runs every Wednesday through the end of August, 5:30 p.m.-6:30 p.m.

Fridays will also include a bonus cupcake truck for the end of the work week sweets. This effort is an extension of the City’s food vending program at LOVE Park called “Lunch in LOVE” where vendors operate daily in front of the Welcome Center and LOVE Sculpture, 11:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m.

Grays Ferry Crescent Trail and Greenway Receives Award

Philadelphia Parks & Recreation, as well as its partners PennDOT and the Schuylkill River Development Corporation, has received the 2013 Project Recognition Award (Environmental Projects) from the Mid-Atlantic Chapter of the Construction Management Association of America.

Intergenerational Garden Update

Community members have been busy at the Citizinvestor-funded intergenerational garden at Rivera Recreation Center! Thus far, there have been two workdays with adults from the Mann Older Adults Center to plant vegetables and install a pollinator garden. Besides helping to organize plantings, the seniors are also busy strategizing ways to engage the entire community in the garden.

Opening of 58th Street Greenway

The 1.5-mile 58th Street Greenway, which connects Cobbs Creek Park with Bartram’s Garden in Southwest Philadelphia, opened in early June. The opening of this new segment of trail continues the expansion of The Circuit, the region’s developing trail network that aims to connect 750 miles of trails across Greater Philadelphia and New Jersey, more than 250 of which have already been completed.

Results of the project include significantly, safer intersections and pedestrian crossings, nicer sidewalks, better bus stops, and the addition of bike lanes. Among the improvements are safety features such as 12 new curb bumpouts, 32 new pedestrian countdown timers and 40 new pedestrian-scaled lampposts, as well as dozens of trail warning signs and pavement markings. A rain garden and tree trenches were created along the trail that will collect water during rain storms, contributing to improved water quality in the region’s rivers. The 58th Street Greenway also includes about 75 new trees that were planted by Philadelphia Parks & Recreation.

This project was spearheaded by the Mayor’s Office of Transportation and Utilities and Pennsylvania Environmental Council.

Advisory Council Banquet

Philadelphia Games in Photos

Robert Smith, Vice President of Medicare Sales & Marketing, Independence Blue Cross; Sean Landetta, former Eagles Punter; and Lynn Spiro, PPR Director of Older Adult Services at the opening ceremonies for the Philadelphia Games on June 8. Independence Blue Cross was the major supporting sponsor of the Games.

Outdoor Discovery Day at Pleasant Hill Park

Saturday, July 13, 11 a.m. – 3 p.m.

Pleasant Hill Park (Linden Ave and Delaware Ave, 19136)

L.L.Bean and Philadelphia Parks & Recreation will host Outdoor Discovery Day, featuring the 13-foot-high L.L.Bean Bootmobile, a larger-than-life version of L.L.Bean’s iconic boot on a mission to reignite America’s love of the outdoors. Expert guides from L.L.Bean’s Outdoor Discovery Schools will be on hand to provide Philadelphia residents with the opportunity to experience new ways to stay active and enjoy the outdoors this summer.

Families are invited to try their hand at fly fishing, geocaching, lawn games, camping demos and a chance to win some outdoor gear of your own

The Senior Strut: A Health Event in the Park

Over 400 senior citizens strutted their stuff on June 18 at the Senior Strut along Boathouse Row, sponsored by Philadelphia Corporation for Aging, Philadelphia Parks & Recreation and the Fairmount Park Conservancy. The one-mile walk along Kelly Drive also included a Health Fair with free screenings, fitness activities, healthy snacks and door prizes.

Hats off to Parks and Rec’s Lynn Spiro and her team for a successful event that included former Philadelphia Eagle Mike Quick, the Mummers Stringband and plenty of vendors and health screenings for our golden oldies! And even though the weather forecast was slated for thunderstorms, the rain held off for this event.

Community-generated Playground Reviews

Looking for a new playground to visit with your child? Consult the experts! Philadelphia Playgrounds Project has been documenting and reviewing PPR play spaces since August 2009. In January 2012, Michael Froehlich and his daughter Zora joined the game with Zora Plays, a blog with hand-drawn maps and pictures of each playground and park.

Urban Forestry & Ecosystem Management in the Field

Natural Resource Director Tom Witmer and Restoration Field Technician Luke Rhodes working on invasive plant removal along the recently dedicated Tacony Creek Recreation Path. Invasive species management is one of several challenges faced by this natural area, which is also illegally and extensively used by off-road vehicles like ATV's and motorcycles. The disturbance caused by this illegal activity kills wildlife, causes substantial soil erosion, vandalizes and destroys new native plantings and disrupts this otherwise peaceful setting. PPR is tackling the off-road vehicle problem through its partnership with the Philadelphia Police Department.

PPR Project Manager Curtis Helm participating in the Careers Workshop Symposium hosted by Morris Arboretum. Students from Saul High School and Mercy Vocational attended the workshop to learn about a variety of environmental career opportunities. Mr. Helm provided a "workshop" demonstrating the art and science behind wetland identification and delineation.